Freya's nerves were on edge as she realized that James was driving her to Julia. She had not seen Juliya, her best friend for more than a year and now the thought of finally meeting her after all made her stomach churn with excitement and apprehension.
As she walked out of the passport check, she quickly scanned the faces around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of James. Her heart rate quickened as she saw him standing there, holding a sign with her name on it. But her excitement turned to confusion as she took in his unusual disguise.
He was wearing a black mask and a bucket hat covering the entirety of his face. If she had been a centimeter taller, she wouldn't have been able to see his eyes at all. He was wearing baggy brown cargo pants and a huge hoodie that reached his knees. It was an odd outfit, even for a celebrity like James.
Freya closed her eyes for a second and counted internally to three before she started walking towards him. She faked a smile until she realized he literally couldn't see anything but her eyes either. He shifted his stance as he saw her walk toward him, and she could see in his eyes that he was smiling at her too.
"Welcome to Spain," he cheered enthusiastically as he grabbed her suitcase and immediately turned around, walking out of the building. Freya walked quickly beside him, struggling to keep up with the taller man's long strides.
"Thanks. Are we in a hurry?" she asked, now practically jogging next to him.
"I'll explain in the car," he said simply, pointing to a waiting car right outside the door as they exited the airport.
They made their way to the waiting car where James opened the door for her and quickly stored her luggage in the trunk before getting in the passenger seat.
As they got into the car, Freya realized that someone else was driving. This person was also hiding their face like James, which made her feel even more uneasy. She couldn't see who it was, and the suspense was killing her.
Sitting in the back, Freya could hear James and the driver discussing directions in Spanish. She understood most of what they were saying since her adoptive mother was from Spain, and she learned enough of the language to get by. But she didn't feel confident enough to speak it, so she stayed quiet and looked out the window.
She couldn't help but admire the beauty of the Spanish buildings and roads as they drove through the city. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over everything, and she felt a sense of peace wash over her.
"Hi Freya," the one in the driver seat said, making eye contact with her in the mirror, his eyes wrinkled in a smile.
"Hello," she responded awkwardly, returning the eye smile, not sure what else to do in this situation.
"It's been a while," James said from the passenger seat, turning around.
They were both speaking English to her, which means Julia never told them she understood Spanish, but she didn't see a reason to bring it up. English was a more comfortable language for her anyway.
Before any of them got to say anything else, the driver's phone rang, and they answered it on the speakerphone.
Suddenly, the driver's phone rang, and they answered it on speakerphone. A man on the other end was yelling at them for leaving the house, and James hung up without answering him.
"Well, normally Julia would take seven to eight hours during a critical case surgery, and since she has just started the surgery one hour ago, there are still seven hours remaining. Would you like me to drop you off at Julia's place for you to rest, or would you like to come with me to my place? My friends are big fans of your work, and we can all have fun together." James asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror.
Freya looked at James in shock, not sure which option to choose.
After a few moments of hesitation, she decided to go with the second option. She wasn't feeling particularly tired, and after that unsettling dream, she didn't want to be alone.
They drove in silence for another twenty-five minutes before the car ducked into a parking garage underneath a huge building. Security checked the car into a numbered spot, and they all got out.
As James got the suitcase out of the car and refused to let her carry it.
Freya kept her distance from him, aware of the paparazzi, she also noticed that the driver was none other than Eric, a famous actor, and friend of James, was standing at a distance with his mask pulled down to his chin.